Review: NEW YORK CITY BALLET Five Cutting-Edge Ballets

October 9, 2015

New York City Ballet - The Koch Theater

Photo Courtesy of Paul Kolnik

By Marsha Volgyi

The NYCB's performance of October 9th was an array of movements and interpretations: some of the works were incredible and others missed the mark.

Polaris, choreographed by Myles Thatcher, skillfully supported by the muted blue palette costumes designed by Zuhair Murad, caught my attention, since it was apparent that the dancers were very capable of handling his style of classical ballet. The partnering was so smooth that the male partners' intricate isolations looked effortless. The composition of the three female dancers was a nice balance to the remaining five male dancers. The lifts created the classical look, which, combined with staging, gave me thought that Mr. Thatcher's ballet should become part of the company's repertoire.

A pause in the theater, and the next piece began shortly thereafter. The Blue of Distance, choreographed by Robert Binet, differed from the previous ballet in several ways. First, the male dancers looked awkward, since the two supporting female dancers appeared taller when on pointe. But the real disappointment came from their lackluster energy, even though their arabesques and développés were on target. This was a piece in which Sara Mearns was the reigning star. She attacked her moves with the same gumption as a warrior leading her troops into battle. The pianist, Elaine Chelton, played music by Maurice Ravel, which was very appropriate for this ballet.

Common Ground, commissioned by New York City Ballet, had the dancers off the ground for over five minutes. The frenetic leaps, jumps, and flaying bombarded the senses. On top of that, it appeared as if someone took costumes from Aladdin's trunk. Halfway through Troy Schumacher's choreography, the dance began to look less forced. From that point forward, it was refreshing to watch the dancers have a sense of abandonment, while maintaining their technique. Amar Ramasar was the bright spot in this ballet. His enthusiasm and defying gravity of jetés were a sight for sore eyes. Even though the costumes and half of this ballet was not cohesive, Mr. Schumacher's ending move--five dancers got to collapse on the floor and the other two were the only ones left standing-was ironic, because with so much leaping and flying, I would have collapsed, physically and mentally.

Justin Peck's New Blood utilized Balanchine-style choreography. It was a wonderful choice because there was succinctness to the movements - quick footing, clean, and exciting to watch. I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see what the dancers would perform next. Each time a new musical phrase began, it built upon each dancer's abilities. The music though was a little heavy for the dance. Nevertheless, it droned out once I was engrossed in the performance. Multicolored block-designed unitards added to the dynamics. The individual couples had an excellent command of the in-tandem steps. As a whole, the male dancers could hold their own next to the featured females. I would see this ballet again in a New York minute.

The closing work of the evening was confusing. The ballet, Jeux, was a mix of a Twilight Zone-like theme, combined with a modern day Giselle. Sara Mearns was the principal dancer and appeared at the onset blindfolded, with an ensemble of dancers lurking in the shadows. Her character had two suitors who betrayed her. The first, a basketball player, was flat in his performance. The other, a professional wearing a suit and tie--Amar Ramasar--seemed to deliver a more stellar performance. The shadows and background dancers gave the piece a sinister flavor. In the end, the tables were turned on the first suitor. The blindfold was passed to him in a manner expressed by Ms. Mearns of, "now you know how I feel when totally in the dark in this relationship." Truthfully, Kim Brandstrup's piece was more of a work-in-progress ballet.

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